The Fireworks Woman – Quality X (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1975
Director: Wes Craven (Abe Snake)
Writers: Wes Craven (Abe Snake), Roger Murphy (Hørst Badörties)
Cast: Eric Edwards, Jennifer Jordan, Jamie Gilis, Erica Eaton, Marc Stevens, Helen Madigan, Ellis Deigh, Lefty Cooper

Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 78 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.98

"Ever since they were children, Angela and her brother, Peter, have been as close as siblings could be. But when their relationship crosses the line from fraternal love to unnatural lust, Peter withdraws to become a priest, attempting to sever all contact with his sister. Hopelessly devoted to her brother and devastated by this abandonment, Angela soon experiences the physical manifestations of his guilt, as Peter sends her to work as a maid for a sadistic couple. Soon, Angela is thrust from one horrifying experience to the next, her body affecting an almost otherworldly draw from men whose only goal is to abuse and humiliate her. All the while they repeatedly cross paths with the mysterious “fireworks man,” an almost devilish presence who may be manipulating the lives of both Peter and Angela." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release’s transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its best surviving film elements ."

The Fireworks Woman comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 18.9 GB

Sourced from the best available materials, there are some minor debris and other imperfections. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clear and balanced. Range-wise things are serviceable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include The Fireworks Woman theatrical trailer (4 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The Fireworks Man theatrical trailer (4 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Roy Frumkes titled Roy Frumkes on Wes Craven, in which he discusses his time spent on the set of The Fireworks Woman as well as re-cutting the film with Wes Craven (10 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by Wes Craven biographer Joseph Maddrey titled Ugly People Doing Ugly Things: Wes Craven and The Fireworks Woman Saga, he discusses the complicated history of The Fireworks Woman and Wes Craven (28 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a poster, and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 3,000 units).

Summary:

The Fireworks Woman was co-written and directed by Wes Craven under the pseudonym Abe Snake. He made the film in between The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes. Key collaborators on The Fireworks Woman were producers Sean S. Cunningham, who worked on The Last House on the Left, and Peter Locke, who worked on The Hills Have Eyes and The Hills Have Eyes II.

A woman falls in love with her brother, who has entered into seminary school to become a priest.

Made during adult cinema’s Golden Age, The Fireworks Woman is a well-crafted film that is a few notches above your standard fare from this era. Areas where The Fireworks Woman most excels are its editing, the visuals, and the performances of its two leads: Jennifer Jordan (Abigail Lesley Is Back in Town) and Eric Edwards (Blonde Ambition). The visuals are overflowing with symbolism and the way in which they juxtapose image and sound greatly heightens the mood. Other strengths include the use of voiceover narration and classical music cues like Pachelbel's Canon in D.

An area where The Fireworks Woman is serviceable is its narrative, which has the bare minimum exposition. Also, when it comes to the sex scenes, they are nothing remarkable, with the most memorable moments being a rape scene and an orgy finale that climaxes with an explosion of fireworks. That said, despite any of its shortcomings, The Fireworks Woman mostly succeeds due to the choices Wes Craven makes. Ultimately, The Fireworks Woman, for most, is a curiosity because of who directed it, while it is a well-executed exploration of desire, faith, and forbidden pleasures.

Quality X gives The Fireworks Woman its definitive home media presentation. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer